Stuck in the middle of energy suppliers?

TheLegendOfMart

TheLegendOfMart

TheLegendOfMart

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Joined
25 Sep 2009
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2,383
Location
Darwen
I have PAYG Smart Meters and on 26th May I switched from Boost Energy to EDF as my previous supplier went bust and I was forced onto Boost.

A few days after the cooling off period I was told that EDF couldn't supply PAYG and I was switched to credit on a really expensive tarrif. I was told to wait a month before I could switch away again.

I tried to switch back to Boost and I was rejected because the markers on the national database of smart meters say both my machines are marked as credit meters now.

They told me to contact EDF which I did and they said they couldn't change the marker on the account because I tried to switch away and now I have to wait another 3 weeks before my account is live again so they can change the marker and it will be another month after that before I am switched away.

The problem is that I am now paying double what I usually pay for energy and I can't afford it as I am a full time carer and I get jack **** per week to look after a severly disabled family member and I will end up owing a ton of money which will stop me from being able to switch away.

Energy Ombudsman wont even entertain me because there is no deadlock letter.

So I am basically screwed now right?
 
We are already at the bare minimum. We never use the gas only for cooking. Nothing has changed yet the bills have doubled.

They wont change the meters as they dont support pay as you go.... and because the meters now say credit on the national database I can't go to any pay as you go supplier.
 
You already have a smart meter, EDF do not currently support PAYG smart, it is however bring rolled out across the country from next month (yet more training for me oh Joy!)

You must be on a variable tarriff if your costs have doubled, why did you switch to EDF surely it was to get a better deal? Did you not research before you jumped ship?

I work for EDF's metering division (engineer) my opinions are my own and in no means anything to do with EDF
 
I used Uswitch and they said EDF were one of the cheapest for my area. Why is the fault mine that even though the meters were marked as PAYG on the National Database they tried to switch me anyway?
 
Switching services don't know the difference between smart PAYG and normal key/card PAYG. lf you had gone direct to EDF they would have told you it won't work before the switch. uSwitch don't care so authorized the switch anyway so they get the money!

The fault is with the switching service not yourself or the providers.
 
Yes they did...
Hello,

We’re really sorry - we’ve had to cancel your switch to Boost. It’s our fault, as we let you sign up with an incompatible meter for Pay-As-You-Go.

Because you have a credit meter, not a prepayment meter, you wouldn’t have been able to top-up and pay for your energy as we started supplying it, and we didn’t want to put you in that situation.

You’ll now stay with your current supplier, until you start another switch.
Click to expand...

This is the same meter I had with them before I tried to switch to EDF.
 
So they switched your meters to credit (which is just normal, what everyone usually has?)

Why cant you switch to any normal tariff? It looks as though Boost rejected that because you tried to switch to PAYG
 
I was originally on Boost with PAYG, the meters said PAYG on the national database. Switching to EDF they didn't check if they could supply it, a few days after the cooling off period they realised they couldn't so they changed me to credit on an expensive tarrif and I had to bend over and take it. Once the switch was complete I tried to move back to Boost but because EDF had changed the national database to Credit meter they wouldn't let me.
 
I've done some digging on this subject and it goes as follows.

TheLegendOfMart said:
I was originally on Boost with PAYG, the meters said PAYG on the national database. Switching to EDF they didn't check if they could supply it, a few days after the cooling off period they realised they couldn't so they changed me to credit on an expensive tarrif and I had to bend over and take it. Once the switch was complete I tried to move back to Boost but because EDF had changed the national database to Credit meter they wouldn't let me.
Click to expand...

You bending over and taking it is the problem, argue your case, they broke the original contract by not being able to provide for you what you expected, there is a get out clause for this exact reason. As a side note and I've already stated using switching services was the issue not EDF's fault or Boots, EDF are just trying to clear up the mess. You are probably on a standard variable tariff, that was done as your in a state of transit, so waiting for you to actually do something about it.

The reason EDF could not supply your meter is because (and this is the only reason) you have a SMETS1 smart meter that Boost installed, it is not compatible with any other suppliers. Its not about checking the meter at all the nation database as you call it does not carry meter type (SMETS1, 2 or legacy) unless it is already on the SMETS2 network, SMETS1 is a closed network that was launched as provider only and information about that meter cannot and will not be shared. Only information from SMETS2 meters is shared.

So you can either Switch back to Boost and have a new meter fitted (they are not installing meters for the foreseeable future this is why they would not have you back), or have a SMETS2 EDF meter installed that is then generally available to any and all suppliers (PAYG smart is available from EDF as of next month).

If you want back to Boost Switch back to a credit account, then change it to a PAYG account (this should work but not knowing the system they use there could be issues).

I work for EDF Metering Division, I do not speak for EDF in any way all I can do is draw conclusions from my own personal experience and what I know company protocols to be.
 
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